Holiday Couscous Salad Recipe

Perfect Side Dish

Made with hearty RiceSelect® Couscous pasta which cooks up light and fluffy and absorbs loads of delicious flavor, this side dish is the perfect complement for a holiday meal spread. Toss with Brussels sprouts, bacon, fruit, and nuts for a balance of flavor and texture in every bite.

Making a homemade vinaigrette is the perfect way to enhance the flavor of any side salad, grain bowl or other meal accompaniment. With sweet maple syrup, olive oil, tangy mustard, and acidic vinegar with shallot, salt and pepper, you’ve got a well-rounded dressing to keep on hand. Make more than you need to use for other salads with leftovers from a celebration meal.

How to Serve

To create an elegant meal spread for your holiday celebration, serve this stuffing-like salad with any of these hearty options:

Veggie-forward: Roasted Seven Vegetables with Couscous,

Pork: Royal Stuffed Pork Loin

Duck: Red-wine Braised Duck with Royal Blend Rice.

Ingredient Variations

For a variety in flavor, roast the Brussels Sprouts with bacon in the oven and chop before tossing with the other ingredients.

If you prefer, swap out the pecans for almonds, walnuts or pine nuts. You may also use raisins, dried apricots or another sweet dried fruit in this salad for the cranberries.

To make this a meat-free dish, omit the bacon and replace it with a vegetarian alternative or plant-based options such as sautéed and seasoned chickpeas, tempeh or tofu.

Take a look at our cooking tips for foodies and home chefs blog section for more ideas to spice up your meals! Learn everything you need to know about RiceSelect® Quinoa, Rice, Orzo Recipes and Pasta products including what rice is used for risotto, and couscous nutrition facts.

Try our shrimp and rice salad for a delicious dinner tonight.